WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 4, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement after today’s Senate votes on two regulatory measures. The first was to move forward on the “Federal Water Quality Protection Act,” legislation to curb the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) regulation that expands the scope of federal authority over land and waterways in the U.S., commonly known as the Waters of the United States “WOTUS” rule. The second was U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) resolution, of which Rubio is a cosponsor, that would nullify the rule.
“Hardworking Americans have had enough of Washington bureaucrats telling them how to use their land,” said Rubio. “This burdensome water rule is government overreach at its worst, and it needs to be stopped.?
“The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have irresponsibly gone forward with this job-killing rule despite many serious concerns raised by farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and small business owners across the country,” Rubio added. “It’s our responsibility to fight for these families and businesses so that they can continue to reach for the American Dream without the unnecessary hurdles this WOTUS rule throws in their way.”
Rubio voted to move forward with S. 1140, but the final vote count, 57 yeas to 41 nays, came just short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. Rubio also voted to move forward with Senator Ernst’s resolution, which passed 55-43.
In September, Rubio cosponsored Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) resolution that would nullify this ill-conceived rule, sending a message to the EPA and USACE that they failed to address the concerns raised by farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and small businesses across the country. Read the full resolution here.
